The Washington critic., 1887-04-19
WASHINGTON CRITIC
TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Smithsonian, and the father Of fish cul-
turc In this country, Is naturalist per
Sc, and looks At everything from the
naturalist's standpoint. lie Is one Of
the trustees of the Corcoran Gallery,
but he docs not mcddle with the selec.
tlon of the pictures and works of art
Some time ago, says the Washington
correspondent Of the Nal and EgpreIs,
the fine marine piece by Richards, en-.
titled "OG the Jersey Coast" was Sc.
cured for the gallery. One of Professor
Baird's brother trustees the other day
found him standing before the picture
absorbed In II. Pleased at the great
scientists interest In the work, he said:
well, Professor, what rlo you think
of it?" II think" replied the Pro.
fessor, meditatively, "that, at the sea
son of the year which this picture rep.
resents, the top of the seagull's head
over there to the left ought TO be black
instead Of white"
There is lady in this city, says
Curtis In recent letter to the Chicago
Ners, who Is supposed to be the pos.
SCISSOR of So 900, 900 or SO, and lives
with her four daughters in one of the
finest houses In town. The other day
Commissioner Ludlow called at the
widows mansion, and to his surprise,
after ringing several times, the door
was opened by one of the daughters,
who seemed TO be greatly agltated.
"Oh, Colonel Ludlow" she sobbed,
'Tm so.o.o.o,oh glad you've come.
I'm so 600 oh glad you've come"
"What on earth is the matter 70 ex.
claimed the handsome Commissioner.
"Co.ooo o me this s.s.s way" she
said, between her sobs. "Mo-o.o,o.
others In the library, and she'll be
so o.o.oo glad you've come" The
Colonel was conducted to the library,
where he found that the mother and
daughters had locked themselves in.
With great difficulty they explained
that the Irish butler was roaring drunk,
and with big carving knife in his
hand, had threatened to butcher the
entire family. The other servants had
taken refuge in the attic, and the lady
of the house with her daughters
had run into the library. where is
the brutc?" exclaimed the valiant
Colonel. The ladies did not know.
The last they saw of him he was
chasing the footman up stairs, trying
at every step to carve him up into
small pieces. "IIave you got gun or
something of that sort around the
house2" asked the would.be rescuer.
Tlo,, 1,ol m old ,,ietnl cnp, ou,b N, n =, ~.
stairs in trunk, they explained. "Of
course" responded the Colonel, two
men always keep their pistols up.
stairs somewhere, In a trunk. Have
you good stout club?" No, they
didn't have any clubs, not even cane.
The nearest approach to IT was light
riding. whip. The Colonel looked
around the place with the eye of sap
per and miner, and selected hand.
some silver. mounted poker, which he
grasped and sailed forth to meet the
enemy, who appeared to be entrenched
in some part of the basement. The
Colonel continued his scouting expedi
tion till he discovered his man IN
bedroom In the basement en-
gagged In cutting the tails oil
several handsome coats of livery
with pair of scissors. Come ouI
of that" cried Ludlow. "Who the
ID are your" asked the butler
"l'm police commissioner, was tn,
reply, "and I've come to arrest you fol
frightening these ladies. If you dom
come along peaceably I'll zap you
over the head with this poker. Where.
that carving knife?'' "It's In the
kitchen, sor." was the meek reply
"Well, then," continued Ludlow
"come out of that right away. will
have to take you to the station" The
man got down on his knees and com
menced 10 beg for mercy. He saw thu
fire In the Colonel's eye. He said tha
he was sick and had taken drop toe
much, which had thrown him into q
delirium. He didn't wantto go to thu
station, for he would lose his charac
ter If people knew he was arrested
The Colonel parleyed with him, fount
he was a married man, and promised
not to arrest him II he would 20 HON,
and behave himself. Docs ycz know
the old woman he asked "Wha
old woman?" inquired the Colonel
my wife," replied the butler. mo
i don't know your wife" "If ycz did
yez wouldn't be akin me to 60 home.
The Colonel finally persuaded the MAJ
to leave the house, which he did
wearing one of the livery coats will
the abbreviated tails. The widow ant
her daughters regard Colonel Ludlow
as the bravest and the handsomest maj
in Washington, and If he was not oil
ready married there's NO telling wha
might come of II.
~
There is something of story oon
nected with the suit wear as Capital
Cuttle,'" said w. j. Florence tn
other day. Il bought 1t shortly aftc
Burton's death at an auction sale of hi
effects. / had gone there to purchas
some books, but the actors present per
suaded me to buy the costumes whic
Burton had worn as 'Toodles' and Car
tain Cutie. 1t was the purchase O
the Captain Cutie suit which first 10
me to think of playing the part.
was an old suit which Burton Ia
picked up In the wardrobe of the Arc
Street Theatre, and It had belonged t
James Scott, who wore II In the dram
atization of Cooper's Pilot 1t wa
covered with white braid, such as WI
worn by the pirates In old melodrama'
and the papers made no end of fun {
1t. When played In London Charlt
Dickens said: For Heavens SAX,
Florence, take off that braid,' an
then, of course, did. When | 70
back to New York the critics unkindl
suggested that the only resemblance I
Burton which the young actor Shove
upon whose shoulders the older cont
dian's old clothes had fallen were th
old clothes themselves and now eve
they Mnrn moi rncnmniZnhln slnrn Ill